You don’t need to spend a week in Atlanta to soak in the city’s unique and vibrant character. I personally traveled to Atlanta for a work conference for a weekend and didn’t have time for much besides enjoying the food (and ditching my last lecture to run to the world-famous aquarium), but here are my suggestions for things to do in this energetic city if you find yourself with a little extra time to eat, drink, and play.
In my personal opinion, the first stop in a Atlanta after a day of traveling should always be for some comfort food. If you want to experience an authentic Southern meal, avoid looking up the fancy restaurants with three dollar signs next to their names on Yelp. (Also great if you’re on a budget, like I am most of the time.) I would definitely advise against doing what I did and looking up the most popular restaurants in the city. In my experience, the most popular isn’t always equivalent to the best food. I chose Mary Mac’s Tea Room on Ponce de Leon Ave due to its popularity on Yelp and, although our waitress called me “honey” in a pleasing drawl every time she came over and served up the most generous dose of Southern hospitality I could have asked for, the food quality was comparable to many “Southern” restaurants I’ve dined at in New York and New Jersey. The short and sweet of it: find the closest fried chicken place on Google maps and enjoy the lack of waiting in a queue.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of chicken (fried or baked) and sides, I would recommend walking it all off at the Georgia Aquarium. Holding the title as the largest aquarium in America (and one of the largest in the world), it houses tens of hundreds of animals, representing several thousand species. Also, the Georgia Aquarium is apparently the only institution outside of Asia to house whale sharks – if you don’t want to pay for a flight across several continents.
The sheer number of exhibits in the aquarium can leave you wandering the halls for hours. If you’re one to get distracted easily, like myself, then the endless tunnels colored with tropical fish and luminescent plants will ensconce you for the rest of the day. However, if you have a boyfriend who is very timely and will pull you away after you’ve spent twenty minutes glued to the glass watching baby otters play in their exhibit, you will find yourself with enough time to accomplish the rest of the activities I have listed.
Ponce City Market, a shopping district and food hall combined into one (reminding me vaguely of Chelsea Market), is the next stop on this list. During my quick stroll through the market, I passed Prosecco cocktail stands, taco trucks, and donuts hanging off of fake trees – ripe for the picking. This colorful and unique market is an Instagrammer’s dream. Once you’ve picked a donut (or two) and passed the many boutiques with curated clothing and accessories, a bout of fresh air in one of the city’s beautiful parks seems almost necessary.
Centennial Park was built for the 1996 Summer Olympics and is located directly in the center of downtown Atlanta. The park features a 20-story Ferris wheel (called SkyView Atlanta), which provides scenic views of the entire city. Tickets are normally $13.50, but my advice would be to use the Groupon if you’re going with a group.
For an even better view of the city, however, I would suggest heading to the Sun Dial restaurant, located on the 72nd floor of the Westin Peachtree Atlanta hotel. Now, this is only for those who don’t care about splurging for dinner. Most of the entrees are priced between $35 and $60 and, to be frank, I definitely wouldn’t categorize the food as anything spectacular. But if you come here looking for panoramic views of the skyline, complete with an observation deck featuring binoculars, while enjoying a good steak or salmon fillet, this is the place for you.
The views from the observation deck alone are stunning, but coming during sunset is definitely my recommendation. Watching the city’s skyline blaze pink and red over monuments like the Georgia Dome is an unforgettable experience. Just don’t forget to book a reservation.
Although we didn’t have time to stop for a nightcap before our flight out, I do have a few recommendations that I heard about while in town. If you’re looking for a speakeasy that takes you back to the Prohibition era, featuring high-quality cocktails and warm service (and, in turn, barring $5 wells drinks and sweaty dance parties), then The Locker Club is for you. Even the name carries a sense of nostalgia, explaining how “Locker clubs were a uniquely Atlanta phenomenon during the early 1900’s when private clubs sprung up where the alcohol was placed under lock and key and only served to members. Many of these locker clubs were clustered around Decatur, Peters and Marietta streets, according to this history of Atlanta’s beer scene.” Let’s take a moment to be grateful that prohibition is a thing of the past and raise a glass at The Locker Club. If you’re looking for something a little more conventional, head to 9 Mile Station, a rooftop bar at Ponce Street Market, which features a beer garden where you can pick your pour from 12 often-rotating craft draft taps. Choose from their full assortment of liquors and classically prepared cocktails, or try one of several champagnes and sparkling wines from the “sparkling bar.”
One of my favorite parts about Atlanta is the fact that the sprawling metropolitan area of the city is located mere minutes away from suburbs, so you can go straight from the sparkling bar to a peaceful night’s sleep in the quiet suburbs. I know some people may not be in favor of this layout, but coming as someone who lives 23 miles outside of New York City and whose ride in from the suburbs can take upwards of two hours depending on traffic, it was a much welcome relief.
Now, with my 24-hour guide wrapped up, there are definitely a few things I would have loved to add to my itinerary if I had another free day or two. Walking the Atlanta Beltline is definitely at the top of my list. For those of you reading about Atlanta for the first time, the Beltline is essentially a massive endeavor to revitalize and connect 45 neighborhoods in the city with usable parks and green spaces. If you love exploring street art, making a stop at the infamous graffiti under the Freedom Highway along the Beltline is another must. Other spots recommended to me included the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, the High Museum of Art, and Sublime Doughnuts. Whatever it is you decide to do, make sure that you fully immerse yourself in the unique and vibrant ambiance of the city.